Africa’s growth constrained by faltering trade reforms.

http://www.gm-unccd.org/English/Field/News/Jul03.htm

Africa’s growth constrained by faltering trade reforms. The latest Economic Report on Africa (ERA 2003), published by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), shows that Africa’s growth rate slowed to 3.2 per cent in 2002 from an average 4.3 per cent in 2001. According to the report, faltering global talks farm trade reform and increased farm subsidies in developed countries could impede Africa's efforts to achieve the goals of reducing poverty and hunger set by the United Nations Millennium Summit of 2000. In particular, the report warns that subsidies reduce agricultural prices, making it difficult for small African countries to compete. The report also recognizes that Africa’s economic performance was affected by droughts in various parts of southern and eastern Africa, as well as by political and armed conflicts, notably in Côte d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and the Central African Republic. Read more…